Tech Tips for Parents

There has been recent discussion of students sleeping with their electronic devices. Parents, please restrict bedtime electronic device usage. "Sleeping with the phone can cause sleep deprivation, which can affect memory and concentration, can cause irritability and mood swings and if prolonged, can affect immune system." - Janice K. Hillman, MD ((Adolescent Medicine and co-author of  a teen parenting book entitled “The Teen Owner’s Manual. Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on Adolescent Maintenance”.) 

Click HERE for Today's Parent Magazine article, "Technology before bed: Is your kid losing sleep?" by Rosemary Counter. 

More Tech Tips for Parents

• Have a "No-Tech" night and for 2 hours, turn off all technology in the house.  Plan to do something together, like play board games or enjoy the outdoors.
• Set a timer on video games/computer use.  Automatic timers can be purchased at www.familysafemedia.com
• Place a guard on videogame systems that will not allow games with the rating of Mature to be played.  Go to playstation.com
• Learn to translate email acronyms.  Go to netlingo.com or brenz.net and it will decipher email language.
• A DVD filter can be purchased and it will give you an edited movie that removes bad language, violence and sex.  Go to www.tvdefender.com
• Common Sense Media is a free site that reviews movies and music, www.commonsensemedia.org
• Parental controls on cell phones are free through AT&T.  It can be used to restrict time of use.  Go to the website of your phone company.
• Internet filtering/tracking is a program that uses active content recognition that will read the content of the site and block it from your computer.  It has many other features and has an annual fee,  www.puresight.com
• Block texting in the car.  Every car since 1994 has a diagnostic port.  You put in your cell phone number and when the car starts, the cell phone can't be used.  The exception is that the parent phone number and 911 can be called.  Additional information may be found at  www.safedrivingsystems.com